Currently, around 800 hospital cleaners and service staff are on strike and have been locked out by their employer, Spotless Services Ltd, over their efforts to be part of a national collective agreement covering all service workers in the public health system. As with the supermarket distribution worker's lockout last year, this is an effort by a large company to keep its workers divided and to financially beat them into submission and force them to accept poverty-level wages. And we shouldn't put up with it.
The Service and Food Worker's Union have established an 0900 number for those who would like to give some financial support: 0900 LOCKOUT (0900 56256) will make a $10 donation. Since Spotless has issued lockout notices for the next 14 days, the workers will need ongoing support. So I've created a pledge on Pledgebank saying:
I will donate $20 each week to support the striking hospital workers but only if 10 other New Zealanders will too.
You can sign it here.
$20 is the cost of two calls to the 0900 LOCKOUT number, and that's all I'm asking people to sign up for: call that number twice a week until the lock-out ends. Obviously, don't sign up unless you can spare the cash.
The supermarket lockout last year failed because the workers had significant public support. It would be nice if Spotless's attempt to bully its workforce failed too.
Update: I've bumped this to keep it at the top of the blog for a few days.
Update 2: Logo couresy of Binary Heart.
Update 3: 9 signups. Only one more to go...
